This invention relates to a process for converting ethylene to ethylene oxide comprising: flowing reactants comprising ethylene and oxygen or a source of oxygen in a microchannel reactor in contact with a catalyst to form a product comprising ethylene oxide, the reactants undergoing an exothermic reaction in the microchannel reactor; and transferring heat from the microchannel reactor to a heat exchanger.

Claim:

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for converting reactants comprising ethylene and oxygen or a source of oxygen in a microchannel reactor to form a product comprising ethylene oxide, themicrochannel reactor comprising at least one process microchannel, the process comprising: reacting the ethylene with the oxygen or source of oxygen in the process microchannel in the presence of a catalyst to form the product, the catalyst comprising Agand being in the form of particulate solids with a mean particle diameter in the range from about 1 to about 1000 microns, the reactants undergoing an exothermic reaction in the process microchannel, the level of selectivity to ethylene oxide being about70% or higher, the level of conversion of oxygen per pass through the microchannel reactor being about 25% or higher; transferring heat from the process microchannel to a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger comprising at least one heat exchange channelin thermal contact with the process microchannel, the process microchannel being cooled using a heat exchange fluid in the heat exchange channel; and flowing the product out of the microchannel reactor, the product flowing out of the microchannelreactor being at a temperature in the range from about 50.degree. C. to about 300.degree. C.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the process further comprises quenching the product.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the microchannel reactor comprises a second reactant stream channel adjacent to the process microchannel, and a plurality of apertures distributed along at least part of the axial length of the processmicrochannel, the process further comprising flowing a second reactant stream comprising the ethylene or the oxygen or source of oxygen from the second reactant stream channel through the apertures into the process microchannel.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the reactants entering the process microchannel is within about 200.degree. C. of the temperature of the product exiting the process microchannel.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the reactants are preheated prior to entering the microchannel reactor.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the process microchannel comprises a mixing zone and all of the reactants are mixed with each other in the mixing zone.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the process microchannel comprises a mixing zone and a reaction zone and part of one reactant is mixed with the other reactant in the mixing zone, and part of the one reactant is mixed with the other reactantin the reaction zone.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the microchannel reactor comprises a plurality of the process microchannels, a header providing a flow passageway for fluid to enter the process microchannels, and a footer providing a flow passageway for fluidto leave the process microchannels.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the process microchannel has an internal dimension of width or height of up to about 10 mm.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the process microchannel is made of a material comprising: monel; inconel; aluminum; titanium; nickel; copper; an alloy of any of the foregoing metals; steel; brass; a polymer; ceramics; glass; acomposite comprising a polymer and fiberglass; quartz; silicon; or a combination of two or more thereof.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the heat exchange channel has an internal dimension of width or height of up to about 10 mm.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein the heat exchange channel is made of a material comprising: monel; inconel; aluminum; titanium; nickel; copper; an alloy of any of the foregoing metals; steel; brass; a polymer; ceramics; glass; acomposite comprising polymer and fiberglass; quartz; silicon; or a combination of two or more thereof.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein the microchannel reactor has an entrance and an exit, the product exits the microchannel reactor through the exit, and at least part of the product exiting the microchannel reactor is recycled to the entranceto the microchannel reactor.

14. The process of claim 1 wherein the source of oxygen comprises oxygen, air, oxygen enriched air, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, a peroxide, or a mixture of two or more thereof.

15. The process of claim 1 wherein the ethylene and/or oxygen or source of oxygen are combined with at least one diluent material.

16. The process of claim 1 wherein the heat exchange fluid undergoes a phase change in the heat exchange channel.

18. The process of claim 1 wherein the reactants flow through the process microchannel in a first direction, and the heat exchange fluid flows through the heat exchange channel in a second direction, the second direction being cross currentrelative to the first direction.

19. The process of claim 1 wherein the reactants flow through the process microchannel in first direction, and the heat exchange fluid flows through the heat exchange channel in a second direction, the second direction being cocurrent relativeto the first direction.

20. The process of claim 1 wherein the reactants flow through the process microchannel in a first direction, and the heat exchange fluid flows through the heat exchange channel in a second direction, the second direction being counter currentrelative to the first direction.

22. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises at least one metal comprising Mo, Re, W, V, Nb, Sb, Sn, Pt, Pd, Cs, Zr, Cr, Mg, Mn, Co, Ce, or a metal oxide thereof, or a mixed metal oxide thereof or a mixture of two or more thereof.

23. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst further a metal comprises an alkali or alkaline earth metal, a transition metal, a rare earth metal, a lanthanide, or a metal oxide thereof, or a mixed metal oxide thereof or a mixture or two, ormore thereof.

24. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises a support comprising a metal oxide, silica, mesoporus material, refractory material, or a combination of two or more thereof.

25. The process of claim 1 wherein the contact time of the reactants and/or product with the catalyst is from about 0.1 milliseconds to about 100 seconds.

26. The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the reactants entering the process microchannel is in the range of about 150.degree. C. to about 1000.degree. C.

27. The process of claim 1 wherein the gauge pressure within the process microchannel is up to about 35 atmospheres.

28. The process of claim 1 wherein the space velocity for the flow of the reactants and/or product through the process microchannel is at least 100 hr.sup.-1.

29. A process for converting ethylene to ethylene oxide, comprising: flowing reactants comprising the ethylene and oxygen or a source of oxygen in a microchannel reactor comprising a plurality of process microchannels, each process microchannelhaving a mixing zone and a reaction zone, the mixing zones being upstream of the reaction zones, a catalyst being in the reaction zones, the catalyst comprising Ag and being in the form of particulate solids with a mean particle diameter in the rangefrom about 10 to about 500 microns; mixing the reactants in the mixing zones; flowing the reactants from the mixing zones to the reaction zones wherein the reactants undergo an exothermic reaction to form a product comprising ethylene oxide, the levelof selectivity to ethylene oxide being about 70% or higher, the level of conversion of oxygen per pass through the microchannel reactor being about 25% or higher; and transferring heat from the process microchannels to heat exchange channels in themicrochannel reactor; and flowing the product out of the microchannel reactor, the product flowing out of the microchannel reactor being at a temperature in the range from about 50.degree. C. to about 300.degree. C.

30. A process for converting ethylene to ethylene oxide, comprising: flowing reactants comprising ethylene and oxygen or a source of oxygen into a microchannel reactor comprising a plurality of process microchannels, each process microchannelhaving a mixing zone and a reaction zone, the mixing zones being upstream of the reaction zones, a catalyst being in the reaction zones, the catalyst comprising Ag being in the form of particulate solids with a mean particle diameter in the range fromabout 10 to about 500 microns; mixing at least part of the reactants in the mixing zones; flowing the reactants from the mixing zones into the reaction zones in contact with the catalyst to form a product comprising ethylene oxide, the reactantsundergoing an exothermic reaction in the process microchannels, the level of selectivity to ethylene oxide being about 70% or higher; transferring heat from the process microchannels to a heat exchanger; and flowing the product out of the microchannelreactor, the product flowing out of the microchannel reactor being at a temperature in the range from about 50.degree. C. to about 300.degree. C.; wherein the ethylene to oxygen mole ratio in the reaction on a whole feed basis is in the range fromabout 1:1 to about 3:1.

31. A process for converting ethylene to ethylene oxide, comprising: flowing reactants comprising ethylene and oxygen or a source of oxygen into a microchannel reactor comprising a plurality of process microchannels, each process microchannelhaving a mixing zone and a reaction zone, the mixing zones being upstream of the reaction zones, a catalyst being in the reaction zones, the catalyst being in the form of particulate solids with a mean particle diameter in the range from about 10 toabout 500 microns; mixing at least part of the reactants in the mixing zones; flowing the reactants from the mixing zones into the reaction zones in contact with the catalyst to form a product comprising ethylene oxide, the reactants undergoing anexothermic reaction in the process microchannels, the level of selectivity to ethylene oxide being about 80% or higher; transferring heat from the process microchannels to a heat exchanger; and flowing the product out of the microchannel reactor, theproduct flowing out of the microchannel reactor being at a temperature in the range from about 50.degree. C. to about 300.degree. C.; wherein the catalyst comprises Ag.

32. The process of claim 1 wherein the reactants further comprise an alkyl halide.